1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the synchronization of authentication-type data among peer systems in a telecommunications network environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
As telecommunications and other network systems have become large and, often, geographically dispersed, servicing client populations and maintaining accurate, up-to-date authentication information has become extremely difficult. For example, providing system access to a client population in a wide are network (WAN) environment from multiple access points usually involves having to be able to authenticate and govern the access of users at corresponding, multiple points within the WAN. If one particular access point is not able to properly authenticate a particular user (e.g., as a result of system failure, etc.), another authentication system must be able to immediately respond, authenticate the user, and provide the user with an access path to the resources he seeks within the WAN.
Accordingly, there is a significant problem associated with providing authentication and authorization of users within large network environments such as within corporate WANs that may include geographically dispersed access and authentication systems which allow for remote access by users within a client population. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that authentication and authorization data must be globally accessible and up-to-date in order to effectively authenticate users within a particular client population.
To address the aforementioned problems in the typical telecommunications network environment, for example, peer authentication systems often have to engage in complex database redundancy operations to ensure that state data (e.g., state change data related to user account profiles such as client identification and accounting profiles) and other data relating to a particular client population are synchronized and replicated among actual peer systems that may service the client population. Such database redundancy operations, unfortunately, often are slow and provide only a very limited set of failure recovery capabilities.
Accordingly, there exists a serious need to provide systems and methods that enable synchronization of authentication information among distinct authentication systems within a network environment such as within a telecommunications network. To be effective, such systems and methods must allow for real-time transaction processing without relying on traditional, inefficient database management principles.